10 Tips For Great Family Pictures

Jun 1

Written By

The Perfect Family Picture

Getting the perfect family picture is similar to... seeing a shooting star, while riding a unicorn, during a snowstorm in July. It just doesn't happen.We recently got our family pictures taken by one of our family friends. He was incredibly patient and took over one hundred pictures. My husband and I were more than excited to sit down and look through them to find the family picture. We started looking for perfection and quickly realized our idea of perfect looks like has changed since we had kids.Prior to kids we look for perfect smiles, perfect poses, and perfect lighting.After kids, we look for the picture that represents our family best. A family picture isn't supposed to perfect. You want to be able to hang it up in your house and have a picture that truly represents every personality in your family.

10 Tips For Great Family Pictures

Make sure your kids are well rested.

Often times, photographers like to do sessions in the morning because the lighting is the best. While it works incredibly well for the photographer, kids may not be as happy. If your kids are like mine, they may take a while to wake up and a photography session will be the last thing they want to do.Be sure they have a good nights sleep and a good breakfast before hand. This is going to help them be in the best mood possible as well as have the energy they need throughout.

Make it fun.

The best part about taking a picture is that it captures a moment in your child's life. Make your photography session fun and capture real smiles, real giggles, and their wonderful personalities will shine through.

Bring toys and books.

Be sure to pack up a bag of toys and books. Your photographer is going to be taking multiple photos which means your child won't be in every one. If they're left to themselves for too long they're either going to get dirty or worse... get bored. Bored kids turn into cranky kids and cranky kids turn into full blown meltdown kids. Save yourself and keep them entertained the best you can.

Don't be above bribery.

Bribe. Your. Kids. It's as simple as that. Bring some goodies that you can bring in your times of need. If you start losing your kids to a bad attitude, bring out a piece of delicious candy! Another option is to plan something fun at the end. Remind them if they can finish the session well they can get A or B.

Bring water and mess free snacks.

Aside from the candy, be sure to bring snacks. One problem families run into is they bring snacks that make a mess. Then their outfits suffer. Bring mess free snacks like granola bars and water. They'll help if their bellies start to growl.

Bring extra clothes.

Life happens. There's no way you can prevent every mess out there. Especially, if your photography session is at a location other than your house. The best option is to bring everyone a second set of clothes for the "just in case."

Be flexible.

You're going to go into your photography session with ideas. You've probably scoured pinterest boards and decided on great poses. However, you have to be open and flexible. When you get to the location you need to be open to what naturally happens. Trust in your photographer's judgment too.

Comfort is key.

Dressing up your kids in uncomfortable clothes is just asking for problems. Do your best to make them comfortable. Is their shirt as itchy as our boy's Indian clothes were? Put a comfortable shirt underneath it.

Bring wet wipes.

Messes will happen. Bring wet wipes and I can guarantee they're going to come in handy.

Leave the cheese at home.

One thing I've heard from many family photographers is how frustrating it is when parents yell "CHEESE" at their kids throughout the entire session. Instead, make them laugh! Remember to make it fun so you don't end up with dozens of pictures with fake smiles.